Trusting Again
by onelife2dream
Summary: Natalie/Cutter Fanfic. Inspired by Hulu promo for 8/5/13. Can Natalie trust Cutter after all he has put her family through? Does she believe he has really changed?
1. Chapter 1

"Trusting Again"

"What is it?" Cutter asked as Natalie flashed him a look of shock after looking down at the message on her phone.

"My uncle. He's had a heart attack," Natalie said frantically, "I need to go to the hospital."

"Okay, I'll drive you," Cutter said as he looked around for his pants. They had finally taken the next step in their relationship that night and, in the heat of passion, clothing was strewn throughout the floor of Natalie's apartment.

"No, Liam, I can't wake him up." Natalie spoke in a whisper as she looked toward the bedroom where Liam had slept soundly for at least the past few hours.

Cutter nodded his head. To be completely honest, he had forgotten about Natalie's son. He had never met Liam and each time he had come over to the apartment, Liam had either been with his grandparents, a sitter, or sleeping. He chuckled to himself quietly at the thought of Liam sleeping through the fervent love-making that had ensued just before Natalie heard her phone beep from the living room. "I'll stay here. You go be with your family." Cutter said unquestionably.

Natalie's glum face instantly turned into a thankful grin. "Are you sure? I mean, he should stay asleep until morning."

"Absolutely. The little guy won't even know you're gone." Cutter reassured Natalie as she quickly dressed, gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, and rushed out of the door.

* * *

After flipping through the channels on the television and pausing on a few infomercials, Cutter sat up and began wandering around Natalie's apartment. He and Natalie had never gotten deep into a conversation about either of their pasts; Natalie completely brushed off any questions Cutter posed about her past, and she never asked him anything. Cutter knew, however, that Natalie was no stranger to the trouble that Cutter brought with him to Llanview, and that he had hurt many people that she cared about when he first arrived. Cutter smiled to himself; Natalie was a very special girl for putting aside the past and letting him prove that he had changed for the better. He looked at a few pictures on the shelf, one of Natalie with Liam at the beach, one of Natalie, her sister Jessica, and their kids, and one of Natalie holding Liam as an infant, with the man who had broken her heart, John McBain.

Natalie never talked about what had happened with her and John, but it must have been big. He knew that John McBain would never approve of Natalie in a relationship with Cutter, so he was sure that Natalie hadn't been talking to him about it. Hell, he knew that Natalie's own parents would not be thrilled, to say the least, of the thought of Natalie with Cutter.

At that moment, Cutter heard the floor creak and turned to see a small boy, dressed in plaid pajama bottoms and a gray t-shirt, rubbing his eyes as he walked further into the living room.

"Mom, mom," Liam's small voice filled the living room. He stopped when he saw a shirtless Cutter standing before him. "Who are you? Where's my mom?" There was panic in Liam's voice. He always knew if his mom was going out for the night, and if she was, he would expect to see his babysitter Jodi, or one of his relatives.

Cutter had never had any interactions with kids before, let alone ones that looked completely scared out of their minds. "Hey, Buddy, um, your mom's not here right now. She had to go to..um, out for a little bit." Cutter hesitated before crouching down to meet Liam's eyes. "My name is Cutter. I'm your mom's..friend." He put his right hand out in front of him to shake Liam's, but Liam just turned the other way.

"I…want…my…mommy! You aren't supposed to be here!" Liam shouted as he ran towards the phone in the kitchen.

Cutter ran after him. Of course Natalie's son would be as quick-witted as his mother. "Hey, hey," Cutter said softly as he took the phone from Liam's hand. "I promise you that your mom will be back in the morning. But right now, you need to go back to sleep."

The deep scowl on Liam's face softened as he met the eyes of the man in front of him. "I can't sleep."

Cutter breathed a sigh of relief as Liam looked into his eyes. "Okay, you can't sleep, why not, did you have a bad dream?" Liam nodded his head and looked down on the floor. "Why don't you tell me what it was about?" Cutter motioned for Liam to join him on the couch. Liam paused before walking over and hopping onto the couch.

"The bad man, the man on the boat, he took all the gold…" Liam started as Cutter listened intently.

* * *

Natalie ran into the emergency room desperately looking for a familiar face. She scanned the room until she saw her mother sitting in a chair, comforting Nora, whose head was in her hands. "Mom..." Natalie uttered as Viki looked up.

"Oh, darling, thank you for coming" Viki said gratefully as she hugged her daughter.

"How is he?" Natalie asked.

"We don't know anything yet, he's in with the doctors." Viki glanced at the corner of the waiting room, where a distraught Clint stood facing the window looking out into the dark night. "Your father, Clint, was with him when it happened, he hasn't said anything."

Natalie looked over at her father. Something had definitely been off with him. Although she had been able to forgive him for keeping John away from her and Liam, she knew he was distressed with all that happened with Viki in the past few weeks.

As Natalie looked back over at her mother she saw Matthew walk into the waiting room with coffee for his mother and Viki. She gave him a sympathetic nod. Matthew was one of those people she had trouble relating to. Matthew had received a normal upbringing in the Buchanan household. Although he hadn't been raised by Bo for some years, there was nothing so unusual about his childhood that would explain his behavior the past few months. Natalie had gotten close to Destiny, bonding over their sons and being single parents. She was angry at Matthew for not accepting Drew as his son. Natalie wants nothing more for her son to be raised by two parents, and seeing that Drew has that opportunity and it is not being pursued makes her very upset. She immediately thought back to Liam and hoped he was still asleep, for his sake and Cutter's.

* * *

"Well, you know what Liam, you don't need to be afraid of the thieves. All you need is a little help from Captain Liam Blackbeard and his partner, Peg-leg Wentworth," Cutter stated as he stood from the couch with his fist in the air. He saw Liam giggle. Liam ran off the couch and towards his bedroom with a determined look on his face. He came out moments later with two pirate hats, eye patches, swords, telescopes, and other toys. Cutter smiled. "Natalie's kid is awesome," he said to himself, as he walked over to where Liam put down all his toys.

Natalie came back over to her waiting family, which now included David, after trying to comfort her father. With no luck, Natalie somberly looked up at her mother. From her face, Natalie could tell that they were still waiting for information on Uncle Bo's condition. Just then, Nora looked up as she saw a doctor walk over to her, "Mrs. Buchanan, your husband is resting peacefully." Everyone let out a sigh and smiled. Nora instantly hugged Viki, and Natalie walked over to give her support. The doctor continued, "Your husband had a mild heart attack. Although he seemed to be in good health, other factors can contribute to this condition including family history and stress." Natalie looked over to Clint. "Something definitely happened between the two of them," she thought to herself.

Viki tapped Natalie on the shoulder, "Sweetheart, I think I'm going to go home now, and come visit Bo in the morning when he is awake."

Natalie nodded, "Yeah, I'm just glad he is going to be okay. I need to get home to."

Viki looked around, "Darling, where is Liam?" Viki knew that Natalie would not leave Liam home alone in the middle of the night, but also knew that she called Natalie way too late for her to get a sitter.

"Oh, he's with…um…a friend," Natalie smiled.

Viki knew that smile. This wasn't just a friend. "A friend, hub? Who just happened to be available at 2:00 in the morning to watch Liam?"

"Goodnight, Mom," Natalie laughed as she turned towards the exit. She said her final goodbyes to Nora, David, and Matthew, and headed back to her car. She wanted to tell her mother all about Cutter, but she knew that conversation would have to wait. Viki and Clint wouldn't just accept Cutter as Natalie's boyfriend, if he could even be called that. She and Cutter were just having fun for now, and she needed to find out if he really had changed.

* * *

Natalie turned to doorknob as she quietly entered her apartment. The scene before her took her breath away. On her couch lay Cutter, with his arms around a sleeping Liam, both their heads adorned with pirate hats. Liam wore a small black eye-patch, as well. As she shut the door, she saw Cutter stir. He opened his eyes and looked up at the gorgeous woman before him. "Hi," he said as Natalie walked over and took Liam off the couch. She smiled at him and walked towards Liam's bedroom.

Cutter got off the couch and immediately started picking up the toys that had been scattered on the carpet. Natalie walked out of Liam's room a few minutes later. She smiled as she wrapped her arms around his waist, "Thank you. I'm sorry that he woke up."

"Don't be sorry. We had a great time. Did you know that Captain Liam Blackbeard and his partner Peg-leg Wentworth saved Princess Natalie from the thieves aboard "The Dragon's Barnacle" tonight?" Cutter declared proudly as Natalie chuckled.

"You know, you are a very sexy pirate." She said as she planted a light kiss on his lips.

"Yeah? Do you want to see my sword?" He asked playfully as she giggled and led him into her bedroom.

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

"Chapter 2"

Natalie glimpsed at the clock on the wall of the office. She had put in what seemed like yet another 12 hour work day. She sighed as she looked down at the pile of papers on her desk. A young girl's body had been found in an alley behind the Palace Hotel a few nights prior, and the Llanview PD was working frantically to find the origin of the drugs that had taken this young girl's life. "Hey, Nat," Bo said as he walked past Natalie's office. "Did you get the results of Gina Larkin's autopsy yet?"

Natalie glanced up at her uncle, who, as soon as he heard about the latest victim, pleaded with Nora to let him out of bed and back to work. "Yeah, Gina Larkin's body was found with the same strand of poisonous drugs as Briana and Dani."

Bo sighed, "I knew it. These drugs are very dangerous Natalie, and I'd put all my chips in that this starts and ends with Shelter."

Natalie felt her stomach tense up. She had hoped that Gina's autopsy would reveal something other than the drugs that had been in Briana and Dani's systems. She had hoped that Gina Larkin's death didn't have anything to do with Shelter, for Blair's sake, and Cutter's.

She and Cutter had been having a good time lately. She had let her guard down with him right after her uncle's heart attack, but when they had learned of Gina's death, something made her apprehensive.

* * *

_A few nights prior: _

"_Hello, gorgeous," Cutter said as Natalie walked over to the bar, smiling. Cutter made her feel beautiful, and wanted. It had been a long time since she had felt desired._

_ "Hey, yourself," Natalie replied as he gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, "Busy tonight?" Natalie asked as she looked around the club. The dance floor was increasingly packing as the DJ played an upbeat song, and she had noticed a crowd forming at the door as she walked past._

_ "Never too busy," Cutter answered. He knew she wanted to spend time with him, and he wanted to spend time with her. "Part of my job is to keep the customers happy, and you are a customer, so right now, I'm all yours," he continued as he led Natalie to the dance floor._

_ Cutter excused himself as Destiny and Jeffrey walked over to Natalie. Natalie glanced as she saw him walk over to Dean Trayger. She had witnessed a suspicious exchange between Dean and one of the DJ's a few weeks prior. Dean whispered something in Cutter's ear as Cutter followed him into the VIP area of the club. Natalie's focus on the interchange was interrupted with Destiny waving her hand in front of Natalie's face. "Hello, earth to Natalie," she teased as Natalie snapped out of her gaze._

_ "Hey, you two," Natalie replied to Destiny and Jeffrey. _

_ "Soooo," Destiny smiled, "we haven't talked since Cutter showed up at your door with nothing but a handle of whiskey and a smile."_

_ Natalie flashed her newfound friend a witty look, "Okay, okay, he may have showed up fully clothed, but trust me, he left with nothing but a smile."_

_ "I'm going to take that as my cue to leave," Jeffrey awkwardly replied as he walked off towards the bar._

_ Natalie and Destiny both giggled as Jeffrey left and Natalie told her friend all about the night she and Cutter first got together._

_ A while later, Cutter joined up to Natalie and Destiny. Natalie's heart fluttered. Cutter made her feel like a teenage girl, and she didn't have a problem with it. _

_ Natalie and Cutter made their way to the parking lot outside of Shelter after closing, when Natalie got a call on her phone. One of the detectives from the Llanview PD always knew that Natalie was available at any hour to help out with a case. "What's up, Reeves?" she asked as she picked up the phone._

_ Natalie closed her phone and looked at Cutter who was fiddling with his car keys. "They found a body outside of the Palace Hotel. They think it's another OD." _

_ "Who?" Cutter asked persistently. He gulped as his mind drifted off to events that had unfolded in the last few hours._

_ "I don't know, but does it matter? Another young girl died tonight." There was a look in Cutter's eyes as she told him about the find. _

_ "I guess not, but, um, this town's not very big. I was just wondering." Cutter's voice trailed off. Natalie sensed something was off. Maybe because she was tired and didn't want to go collect evidence from a crime scene, or maybe because she didn't want to believe that this death was more than just a random overdose._

* * *

Blair was overcome with emotion; her club was at the middle of yet another lethal scandal, and she couldn't help but feel that maybe she had entrusted the wrong person with her business. She ran over to Nikki, the one person that she was thankful worked behind her bar. Nikki never served alcohol to minors and had become a calming influence amid all of the problems that had been happening at Shelter lately. "Nikki, where's Cutter?" Blair asked agitatedly.

"Beats me," Nikki stated, "He was supposed to be here an hour ago."

Suddenly, Cutter ran up to the bar where Blair and Nikki sat waiting. "Hey, Blair, sorry. I was just speaking to security about getting this place tightened up for tonight's performance."

"Cutter, there isn't going to be a performance. I'm shutting Shelter down." Blair stood, firmly speaking, with disappointment in her voice.

"What? No, we don't need to close. This town is mourning another young girl, and you want to close. What people need is an escape, a place to enjoy themselves and not think about the funeral they had to attend today." Cutter thought his speech was pretty convincing, but Blair thought otherwise.

"What this town needs is a place to go and not have to worry about being drugged or overdosing. Bo seems to think that the drugs that killed Briana and hurt Dani came from here, and it's best for us to shut down, for now." Blair walked away, to inform the wait staff to close out their tabs.

"Unbelievable," Cutter said, looking towards Nikki.

"What's unbelievable, is that you know just how much this club is involved." Nikki said matter-of-factly. Cutter turned away from her and looked towards the door. One of the things he had always disliked about Nikki was her razor-sharp instincts, and it scared him that she was always right.


	3. Chapter 3

"Chapter 3"

* * *

Natalie's suspicions had caused her to pull back from Cutter in the weeks after Gina's death. Not only was she pulling long shifts at the police station, but she knew that if she saw Cutter, she would be tempted to ask him about the drugs at Shelter. She chose to believe what she had hoped; that he had absolutely nothing to do with the OD's at Shelter. Natalie sighed as she applied her lipstick. Tonight was the "Man of the Year" gala, and although she was looking forward to seeing Cutter and hopefully having a good time, the events of the past few weeks had caused her to lock up her heart tighter than it had been before.

* * *

"All ready, mom," Liam said as he walked out of his room with a duffel bag and a backpack overflowing with toys, stuffed animals, books, and clothes.

"Where are you going, the Outback?" Natalie laughed as she turned around and looked at her son. "You know, Roxy does not live in a cardboard box."

"I know. But I don't want to play with the slot machine anymore. And Morris is creepy!"

"Come here, you," Natalie chuckled. "I love you so, so much; you know that right?" Natalie kissed Liam's cheek and picked up an army hat that had fallen out of Liam's backpack. "Well, soldier, you will definitely need this if you are going to fight Morris off in your sleep!"

* * *

"Hey, baby cakes," Roxy declared as Natalie and Liam walked through the front door of the Angel Square Motel.

"Hi, Grandma Roxy," Liam said as he lugged his bags inside.

Roxy whispered in Natalie's ear, "Honey, I hope you know the kid's only staying tonight. I gotta get to the ponies tomorrow…"

"Yes, Rox, I'll pick him up in the morning. He just wanted to make sure he was comfortable."

"Ah, come on, I got plenty of fun stuff. You used to love playing with that old roulette wheel out in the back."

"Definitely the idea of a good time for a four year old," Natalie rolled her eyes at Roxy. "Alright, I got to go. Bye, sweetie," Natalie knelt down and hugged Liam before giving Roxy a hug.

* * *

Natalie returned home to finish getting ready before Cutter came by to pick her up. She was glad to hear a knock at the door before she worked herself up with nerves.

"Hi," Natalie said as she opened the door. Her heart stopped for a minute. Cutter was wearing a black tux with a gray bowtie. "Damn, he looks so good," she thought to herself.

"Well, hello to you, too." Cutter said. He waited for a moment as Natalie stared at him. "Well, aren't you going to let me in?"

"Um, oh, yeah, come on in," Natalie said as she caught her breath. "Um, let me just get my purse."

"You look incredible," Cutter uttered as Natalie walked around her living room frantically looking for her clutch.

"Thanks, you clean up well, yourself," Natalie replied as she pulled her black clutch from underneath the couch. "Okay, let's go." Natalie said matter-of-factly and walked towards the door.

* * *

As they entered Shelter, Natalie had left Cutter's arm to converse with some of her family members. She was not ready to let her family know that Cutter was in her life, and her father's "Man of the Year" reception was definitely not the right time. Cutter had felt that things with Natalie had been off the past few weeks. He knew that she was working extra shifts at the police station, but he sensed that exhaustion was not the reason she had been avoiding him. He knew he needed to talk to her tonight, and for some reason, he didn't think it would end pretty.

* * *

Cutter was able to squeeze a few dances in with Natalie before she, yet again, pulled away from him.

"Hey, he turned towards her, just as she was getting ready to walk into the crowd. "What's going on? You don't seem yourself tonight."

Natalie sighed as she looked up at him, "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. I feel like you've been avoiding me."

"I've been working a lot, Cutter," Natalie tried to finish this conversation quickly.

"Well, you aren't working now, and you don't seem that excited to be here with me."

Natalie breathed a heavy sigh yet again, "My whole family is here. The whole town is here to support my father. I don't think tonight is a good time for my parents to find out that I've been seeing the man that tried to scam them."

"Okay, fair enough, but that's not it. Something else is wrong."

"Just leave it, Cutter," Natalie insisted as she walked over to the bar.

"No; look Natalie, I care about you, a lot, and I don't want to see you like this. Let me in."

Natalie turned her eyes toward the crowd and back at her date. "Fine." She exhaled sharply, "Shelter's being investigated."

"Because of the OD's, I know." Cutter swallowed hard.

"Look, I just, I just need to know. Is the Llanview PD going to find anything?" Natalie looked Cutter straight in the eyes.

Cutter's eyes met Natalie's. They were blazing. He didn't know how to respond. He found his eyes wandering towards the ceiling then towards the floor. He didn't say a word.

"Um, okay, I need to go." Natalie turned sharply and walked quickly toward the exit. She had gotten her answer and it wasn't what she wanted to hear.

* * *

Natalie walked into her dark apartment. It was nice having the place to herself; she needed time to think. Natalie unzipped her dress and walked into her bedroom. She changed into a pair of sweats and an oversized t-shirt. She flipped through the channels searching for some sort of mindless entertainment when she heard a rapping at her door.

"Natalie, I know you're in there. Please open the door." It was Cutter. Natalie looked towards the door before turning back to her television. She really did not want to talk to him right now. The knocking continued, "Natalie, come on, I really need to talk to you." Natalie got off her couch and walked towards her bedroom. "He'll eventually go away," she thought as she climbed into her bed.

* * *

The next morning, Natalie awoke to sunlight shining through her window. She had a bit of a headache. She didn't remember drinking much, but other events throughout the night had definitely triggered her not so pleasant morning. She quickly threw on her robe and went to get the newspaper.

As she opened the door, a loud thud startled her. At her feet, lay Cutter, who obviously had just been awoken by the movement of her front door. She looked down on him as he opened his eyes, and she scuffed as she leaned down for the paper. Natalie began to shut the door once again, but Cutter stood up, "Hey, wait, please don't shut the door. I need to talk to you. Please."

He looked like a mess. The circles underneath his eyes told her that he didn't sleep well. How could he, perched up against her front door, all night? His clothes were disheveled, with the look of anguish in his eyes. "Fine, what do you want?" Natalie motioned for Cutter to come inside.

"Listen, about last night. I really am sorry. I should have said something when you asked. Hell, I should have said something a really long time ago.

"What's going on?" Natalie looked cuttingly into his deep blue eyes. She knew she was going to get him talking, but she softened when she saw the fear emanating from his eyes.

"I'm in deep, Natalie. Really deep." Cutter looked up at her. He was concerned, not only for her reaction, but for his safety as well.

* * *

To be continued…


End file.
